Jeep toad ?

[53_willys]

We pick up our new Newmar Tuesday now I want to buy a lightly used jeep to tow what jeep are you towing ? Any and all info would be appreciated thank you in advance.

[mowermech]

Interesting about the "chipped key" for 2005 and 2006 Wranglers
Years ago, I had a 2006 Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited that I had spare keys for made at Ace Hardware. No chips. The stock keys had a plastic cover on them, but there was no evidence of any chips. The Ace Hardware keys worked just fine.
My current 2005 Wrangler Unlimited; same thing. I carry an Ace Hardware key in my wallet, and there is another in a magnetic box hidden under the Jeep. Both work just fine for starting and driving the Jeep.
I can only relate my personal experience.
I was going to check the Owner's Manual, but I discovered I don't have one. Perhaps I will do an online search for it.

EDIT: So, I searched for the Owner's Manual, and found a PDF file. It is readily apparent that Jeep installed, in some Wranglers, a Sentry Key Immobilizer System that had a chipped ignition key. Neither of the two Wranglers I have owned over the years had that system installed. My son's 2003 Rubicon doesn't have it either.
NOTE: ALL of those vehicles sold new in California, where the system was considered to be in high demand.
NOTE 2: Rumor has it that the system has a high failure rate when the vehicle becomes 10 to 20 years old, and Jeep has no parts available to fix it. It must be disconnected in the steering column, and the ECU reprogrammed to disable it so it can not be reconnected. I do not know if that is true.
NOTE 3: If the plastic on your ignition key (2001-2006) is concave on both sides, it is non-chipped. If it is fat (convex) on one or both sides, it is probably chipped. Mine is concave both sides.

[2manytoyz]

mowermech wrote:


The 2005 and 2006 Jeep Wranglers do not have a "chipped" key. They DO have an "Off, Steering Not Locked" ignition switch position, which the '07 and later Wranglers do not have.

We have a 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It DOES have a chipped key. My wife lost her key, and it was a pain to buy a new chipped key, which the dealer did not stock. Then had to take it to a locksmith (1/2 the price of the dealership) to program the Jeep's computer to accept the new key. Took him about 1/2 hour, and I watched the process. FWIW, my 2004 Jeep Wrangler Sahara I previously owned, also had a chipped key.

We do have an unchipped key as well, which is used to unlock the steering wheel when we tow the Jeep.

Here's the details on the chipped key I purchased from eBay:

"OEM FACTORY NEW MASTER KEY BLANK IS A DIRECT FIT FOR THE FOLLOWING

-2001-2006 JEEP WRANGLER-

-2001-2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE-

-2002-2004 JEEP LIBERTY-

-2001 JEEP CHEROKEE-

GENUINE MOPAR PART # 05018699AA"

https://www.ebay.com/itm/322237720645

[Land_Yachters]

scgaw wrote:
We flat tow a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Great driving car and tows great too.

+1

[Ro_n_Joe]

Love our Grand Cherokee too and have towed it just over 16K miles now. Unfortunately there are enough posts and have spoken to two GC owners reporting the death wobble issue on slow turns. Because of this I wouldn't get another until the issue is resolved. Jeep has released a wiring harness but there are issues with it also.

[scgaw]

We flat tow a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Great driving car and tows great too.

[53_willys]

BobGed wrote:

53 willys wrote:
We are looking for a Jeep Wrangler preferably a stick shift

What is your budget range?

it all depends on the condition of Wrangler Im prepared to spend up to $30K but if I find something in good shape and mechanicaly sounds for less that's fine.

[hohenwald48]

If you're just looking for something to tow and knock around on the trails, I'd look for a TJ 1997-2006. I think they're the simplest and most practical off road of any Wranglers. If you're looking for a little more room and comfort then some of the newer pre 2018 JKU's would be my choice. I likely would not look and any of the early JKU's as several years had the "new design" bugs still in them. Towing just about any Wrangler is a no brainer. Some differences between years but they're all pretty easy to tow.

[BobGed]

53 willys wrote:
We are looking for a Jeep Wrangler preferably a stick shift

What is your budget range?

[travisc]

The Jeep tj 1997-2006 does have a chipped key option, if it’s thick and gray it’s got sentry key, you remove the steering wheel lock, I’ve done that to my 2001 Cherokee and me 2006 Jeep unlimited, both tow well. I also have demco stay and play in each rig.

[53_willys]

hohenwald48 wrote:

53 willys wrote:
We pick up our new Newmar Tuesday now I want to buy a lightly used jeep to tow what jeep are you towing ? Any and all info would be appreciated thank you in advance.

Can you be more specific? There are all kinds of "Jeeps" and they are all different.

All Wranglers are Jeeps but not all Jeeps are Wranglers.

we are looking for a Jeep Wrangler preferably a stick shift

[hohenwald48]

53 willys wrote:
We pick up our new Newmar Tuesday now I want to buy a lightly used jeep to tow what jeep are you towing ? Any and all info would be appreciated thank you in advance.

Can you be more specific? There are all kinds of "Jeeps" and they are all different.

All Wranglers are Jeeps but not all Jeeps are Wranglers.

[ncrowley]

You will need to make sure the year and model you get is flat towable. I have a 4 door Rubicon that is about 5 years old and it is great. I love taking it on RV trips.

[older_fossil]

wildtoad wrote:
If you looking for a nice cushy ride, a Wrangler may not be for you. We got a wrangler and love it but a bit rough on rough roads. Tows nice, simple setup, I buy another if I ever need to.

With our previous coach, we towed a 2001 TJ (2 door) wrangler for somewhere around 100k miles. It was set up for serious off road trails and wasn't a great ride for long driving days. I really liked the low end torque of that 4.0 six cylinder, but rarely saw above about 15 mpg on average. As we got older, it was harder to climb into the lifted Wrangler. When we went full time and moved up to a diesel pusher, we went for a 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee for more comfort and cargo space. While the GC is still a very capable offroad vehicle, the DW is lobbying for a 4 door Rubicon Wrangler whenever we replace the GC.

Art

[mowermech]

dodge guy wrote:

mowermech wrote:
I tow a 2005 Wrangler Unlimited.
I like the 2003 - 2006 body style, and the 4.0 l I-6 engine.
It is easy to set up for towing: Transfer case in Neutral, transmission in 6th gear (yes, it is a 6 speed manual tranny!), Ignition switch in "Off, Not Locked" (spare key in pocket so the doors can be locked), and we are good to go. All that is done AFTER the Jeep is connected to the motorhome! I don't have to worry about releasing the parking brake, because I never set it, and positioning the Jeep behind the motorhome is a lot easier than positioning the motorhome in front of the Jeep, IMO!
We were lucky enough to find this Jeep in a pretty much unmodified condition (custom bumpers and a receiver hitch the only mods), with a hardtop, and less than 10 grand!
The longer wheelbase of the Unlimited has a somewhat better ride than the standard short one, IMO, and the rear seat remains folded up nearly all the time, so the 2-door is not a fault. The extra cargo space is nice, too. A trip to Costco would be impossible with the shorty!
Good luck in your search for the "perfect Jeep Wrangler" for you!

On the key. Have you thought about cutting a non chip key. That way you can unlock the wheel, but not have to worry about it getting stolen!

The 2005 and 2006 Jeep Wranglers do not have a "chipped" key. They DO have an "Off, Steering Not Locked" ignition switch position, which the '07 and later Wranglers do not have. I have often wondered why Jeep dropped that switch. But, since I never intend to buy an '07 or later, I really do not care. Mine will run over 200K miles soon, still starts good, runs good, and doesn't burn any oil between oil changes. I did replace the clutch and a couple of U-joints last year. As us "jack pine savages" are wont to say; "Kain't hardly beat a deal lak thet!"